My little girl is going through that toddler thing where they sprint away in stores or parking lots. I'm working with her and she's generally so good. Just curious if anyone has any ideas I haven't thought of - how do you handle it?
TIA!

I don't give her the opportunity in public. I use carriers/strollers/carts/leashes when out and about. But at home... I need to figure something out because our house is laid out such that you can make a circle through it, and we always end up doing at least one lap before every diaper change :/

firstly, I'd chase her around the house or yard as often as possible. They love to be chased. So, if you can fill that need in a safe way, you may not have as many problems when you're out in public.

after that, you can make it a rule in a parking lot that they have to touch the car - they actually sell little magnet hand prints and you have your child put their hand on the hand print if you need a moment before you can put them in the car. If it's while walking in the parking lot, I hold her hand and I hold her wrist - she isn't getting away. If I don't have enough hands to hold her hand, then I have a cart or I carry her.

As for in the stores.. whew... well, I had an incident a month or so ago that was not fun looking for her, so now I generally use a cart every single time. but, if she's having a hard time being in the cart and if there's a reason when I feel like I want to accomodate her, I let her push the cart and that keeps her near me and she loves to push it. If it's a store without carts, I generally give her a little leeway as long as I can see her and she's coming back upon request.

but that's also why I do most shopping online

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SAHM to Magnolia May (09/10), Luke Russett (04/13) and expecting 11/16. Wife and best friend to my airman.

I don't give her the opportunity in public. I use carriers/strollers/carts/leashes when out and about. But at home... I need to figure something out because our house is laid out such that you can make a circle through it, and we always end up doing at least one lap before every diaper change :/

Sorry, I find this funny.

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Decided to close my ETSY store because of CPSA regulations that I was not aware of when I started out.
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Many people didn't/don't like the solution we came up with. We used a leash and harness. 12 years ago I had to make my own. My kids are runners. They could not be reasoned with. I used to be opposed to them until my dd pulled her hand from mine, darted between a group of people and under the clothing rack. The store had to call a CODE ADAM. The first and last time I have had to have it called on my kiddos. We now use it as soon as we have signs of running. She was found on the opposite side of the store hiding on the shelves among the furniture.

I would rather have a leash and harness on my child and listen to rude superior sounding people making rude comments than have my child injured by climbing(they were climbers as well) or harmed by some stranger.

When DS was going through that phase, I would make sure to not give him the opportunity in dangerous places - parking lots, etc. He was in a cart or a stroller or I would carry him.

In stores, he lost privileges when he ran away, which meant that instead of walking he had to sit in the cart and get buckled in. We were very consistent with that, and he learned quickly. At other places, like the library, if he tried to run away we would just leave. It was a huge pain to go through all the work of getting ready to go somewhere just to turn around and go back home, but we only had to do that a few times and he learned not to run away in those places, as well.

He's 2.5 now and (if I do say so myself ) extraordinarily well behaved when it comes to sticking close.

He's 2.5 now and (if I do say so myself ) extraordinarily well behaved when it comes to sticking close.

This gives me hope! My oldest was a little challenging, but NOTHING like my 22 month old. We went to a cabin in the mountains this weekend, and keeping DD2 from running into the street/off a cliff/into the fire was super stressful. We try to redirect, babywear, etc, but she loves to sprint and climb. I'm taking both girls to Silver Dollar City in 2 weeks with my parents without my husband, and I am seriously considering a harness. I used to think "Oh I would NEVER put my kid on a leash", but then I had DD2. Off to amazon to check out the prices now, actually.

I have a very scary mommy voice. And teach them DANGER!!!! From the get go. Two crazy boys later, I have never had either run from me. I also believe its because they are very attached. They have no desire

I have a very scary mommy voice. And teach them DANGER!!!! From the get go. Two crazy boys later, I have never had either run from me. I also believe its because they are very attached. They have no desire

My kids are both very "attached" but also have neuro-developmental challenges that make public places overwhelming and panic-inducing, and which make impulse control next to impossible in such a state of mind. I think developmental maturity and temperament play more of a role in our situation.

We haven't done a harness (yet) but my son is 4.5 now and we are thisclose to getting one for him to use in specific dangerous situations. He actually has gotten much better now that little sister walks and we can all hold hands. Our biggest struggle is actually when we go to the Cotton Babies.

My son has this issue to (he has ODD and this is one of his defiance things). I do everything in my power to keep the situation from happening. We either use a stroller or a leash when I have more than just him with me. He still rides in the double stroller at 3.5. When it is just Ledger and me, I hold his hand and work on staying with me.

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Kristen
Middle school teacher by day, super mom by night
Mommy to The Boss~2007, The Energizer Bunny~2009, and The Princess~2011
My kids are no longer in diapers, but somehow, my computer keeps finding its way back here...